No ifs or buts: Public foundation leaders’ perspectives on evaluation

By Kylie L. Kingston and Alexandra K. Williamson

Philanthropic foundations provide grants to all sorts of nonprofit organisations to help them achieve their mission. To do this, management within these philanthropic foundations engage in various evaluation processes, such as evaluating a nonprofit organisation’s grant application. But what exactly are they evaluating, why are they evaluating it, and what do they think about evaluation? Little is known about foundation leaders’ perceptions on evaluation or what influences those perspectives; so, we set out to change that.

A total of 28 managers and leaders of public philanthropic foundations were interviewed as part of this research. These leaders were not evaluation specialists, which makes their perspectives on evaluation unique and personal. When analysing the interview transcripts, we noticed the leaders’ perspectives could be categorised in four different dimensions - leaders’ motivations for evaluating, evaluation values, evaluation criteria, and processes of evaluation.

Leaders’ motivations helped to explain why they engage in evaluation. Measuring the impact of their work influenced leaders’ perceptions of the importance of evaluation. As public foundations distribute funds donated by donors (i.e., potentially the general public), leaders felt responsible for the resources under their control and were keen to demonstrate, in part through evaluation, that they meet donors’ expectations.

“We get some gifts, bequests, legacies, things like that, and it’s embedded into the work you do that says if a person gives you money for a particular purpose you apply it to that purpose. And no ifs, buts, or whatever” (Foundation Leader).

Our research shows foundation leaders use evaluation processes and evaluative thinking toward generating public benefit. This outward focus may be a reason why leaders prioritise evaluation activity toward donors, rather than the beneficiaries of grants. Leaders of public foundations want and need to ensure donors continue donating and see evaluation processes as helping to do that.

Foundation leaders’ perspectives on evaluation are rarely heard, yet they are important. Our study shows these leaders wear many ‘evaluation hats’. At the same time as being grant makers and assessors of performance, they must ensure due diligence and keep focused on their missions. These multiple roles mean evaluation can be complex, nuanced and challenging. Our research helps to increase understanding of what foundation leaders see as important in the evaluative culture of their working environments. By identifying four themes around evaluation - motivations, values, criteria, and processes - our understanding of public philanthropic foundations’ evaluative environments is increased, to the benefit of everyone.

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Article details

Performance measurement, evaluation and accountability in public philanthropic foundations
Alexandra K. Williamson, Kylie L Kingston
First Published March 24, 2021
DOI: 10.1177/1035719X211000880
Evaluation Journal of Australasia

About the Authors

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Alexandra K. Williamson is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS) in the QUT Business School at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She holds a PhD and a Master of Business (Research) from QUT Master of Business (Philanthropy and Social Investment) from Swinburne University of Technology.

Her research is focused on philanthropic foundations, accountability and place-based giving, contributing to theoretical understandings of how foundations engage with stakeholders in community and institutional settings. Prior to commencing in academia in 2011, she had 14 years involvement in philanthropic foundations and grantmaking, in roles which involved researching and implementing grantmaking strategies.

Kylie L. Kingston is a PhD candidate within the School of Accountancy and Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She holds a Master of Philosophy (Accountancy) and a Master of Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies), both from QUT. Her research is focused on enhancing accountability toward beneficiaries within nonprofit organisations through participative evaluation processes.